Sinusitis decisions — 2022

The Board has determined that the Veteran's claims for service connection are remanded due to insufficient evidence and need for further examination.

The Board has granted service connection for sinusitis on a presumptive basis due to exposure in the Gulf War. The Veteran's psoriasis and hypertension are both remanded for further development.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded due to the need for additional development and examination, particularly regarding service connection claims and the propriety of separate ratings for radiculopathy.

The Veteran's emergency room visit at Jersey Shore Hospital on August 9, 2015 was deemed an urgent medical emergency due to his symptoms of sinusitis and difficulty breathing. The VA facilities were not feasibly available for treatment within a reasonable time frame, thus the non-VA services provided are covered by the Veterans Millennium Health Care and Benefits Act.

The Veteran's claims for service connection are being remanded due to the need for additional development and medical opinions.

The Board has remanded the increased rating claims for further evidentiary development due to missing VA medical records.

The Board has granted service connection for allergic rhinitis but remanded the cases of sinusitis and pes planus left foot due to insufficient evidence.

The Veteran's sinusitis is granted an initial 30 percent evaluation from August 17, 2009 to August 30, 2016.

The Board has remanded the case due to a pre-decisional error in relying on an inadequate VA clinician's negative etiological opinion. The Veteran is required to provide an addendum opinion addressing his service connection claim for chronic sinusitis and respiratory disability.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities result in the loss of use of both lower extremities, requiring him to rely on assistive devices for mobility. The Board has granted financial assistance in acquiring specially adapted housing due to his permanent and total service-connected disability.

The appeal for service connection for a thyroid disorder is dismissed. Service connection for sinusitis, migraine headaches, and left knee disability are granted on a presumptive basis due to exposure to burn pits during service. The psychiatric disorder claim is remanded as it involves secondary service connection.

The Board has decided that the Veteran's claim of service connection for sinusitis should be remanded due to insufficient medical opinion regarding the relationship between his in-service exposure and current symptoms.

The Veteran's chronic sinusitis is granted service connection, but the claim for hypertension secondary to sinusitis needs further development.

The Veteran's appeal for a higher rating for impingement syndrome of the left shoulder with slap tear and degenerative arthritis is dismissed. The right shoulder and right ankle conditions are granted service connection, but further examination is needed for other claimed disabilities.

The Veteran's service connection claim for chronic sinusitis was granted. However, his claims for acquired psychiatric disabilities were dismissed as the benefit sought has been granted and there remains no justiciable case or controversy with respect to this claim.

The Board has remanded the issues of service connection for migraine headaches, sinusitis, sleep apnea, bilateral knee disability, and neck disability due to the Veteran's contention that these conditions are related to his military service.

The Board has remanded the cases of chronic sinusitis and hypertension due to inadequate VA examination reports. The Veteran's testimony at his hearing is considered credible, and a new VA examination is required to determine if his conditions are related to service.

The Veteran's sleep apnea is granted as secondary to service-connected sinusitis. The rating for sinusitis remains at 50 percent, the maximum allowed under current criteria.

The Veteran's sinusitis and status post left maxillary cystectomy were rated at 10 percent prior to June 7, 2022. The Board found that the criteria for an increased rating did not meet or nearly approximate the criteria for a higher rating.

The Veteran's sinusitis is currently rated at 30 percent, but no higher.,The Veteran's GERD with IBS is not manifest by symptoms of material weight loss, hematemesis, or melena with moderate anemia, nor have her other symptoms been shown to constitute severe impairment of health. Therefore, a rating in excess of 30 percent for GERD with IBS is denied.